Shrapnel play aggressive thrash in the style of Kreator mixed with some Testament and Metallica. I have a low tolerance for thrash these days, but Shrapnel pass the taste-test quite nicely. Continue reading →

This is the eagerly awaited follow up to 2017’s Medusa, which was a thoroughly enjoyable album through and through. Back with 45 minutes of new material on Obsidian, this is a great time to be a Paradise Lost fan. Continue reading →

Bear are a progressive metal band from Belgium and this is their fourth album.

I really, really enjoyed 2017’s ///, and it grew on me over time more and more. Well, I haven’t had years to absorb the true nature of Propaganda yet, but damn does it seem just as good, if not better than ///. Continue reading →

This is the debut album from Shatter Brain, an Australian thrash metal band.

Featuring members of Voros and Alkira, Pitchfork Justice contains 40 minutes of bellicose metal. Blending thrash, hardcore, and sludge metal into a strong-tasting and satisfying concoction, this is a very impressive debut album. If you imagine Continue reading →

The Ditch and the Delta are a sludge metal band from the US and this is their second album.

This band combine Neurosis-style post-metal sludginess with energetic riff-worship and a surprisingly technical delivery to produce 38 minutes of abrasive nastiness. Mix Neurosis, very early Mastodon, Today Is the Day, and Meshuggah, and you’ll have a Continue reading →

This is the second album from Azusa, an international progressive metal band.

Featuring current and ex-members of bands such as John Frum, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Extol, you know there’s a lot of talent and experience in Azusa before you even listen to them. Continue reading →

Kingsmen are a metalcore band from the US and this is their debut album.

Here we have 37 minutes of music; metallic hardcore that also borrows from both modern metal and deathcore. The songs are compact and concise expressions of anger, frustration, and hardship, channelled through satisfyingly brutal tracks that are also full of good hooks and choruses. Continue reading →